Inkling 2 Small vs Particle-1
Inkling 2 Small leads the LLM Stats Score 47.2 to 31.9. Particle-1 is 1.1x cheaper per token.
Thinking Machines Lab · Particle AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Inkling 2 Small leads the overall LLM Stats Score 47.2 to 31.9, ranking #39 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Inkling 2 Small wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Particle-1 is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Particle-1 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Inkling 2 Small
- overall performance matters — it scores 47.2 and ranks #39 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2026
Choose Particle-1
- cost matters — it's about 1.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
11 reported for Inkling 2 Small · 3 for Particle-1
Inkling 2 Small outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Particle-1 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Inkling 2 Small significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Inkling 2 Small ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Particle-1 ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Inkling 2 Small ($1.00/1M tokens) costs the same as Particle-1 ($1.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Inkling 2 Small is more expensive than Particle-1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Particle-1 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Inkling 2 Small's 256,000 tokens. Only Particle-1 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Inkling 2 Small and Particle-1 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Inkling 2 Small
Particle-1
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Inkling 2 Small was released on 2026-11-05, while Particle-1 was released on 2026-10-28.
Inkling 2 Small is 0 month newer than Particle-1.
Nov 5, 2026
3 days ago
1w newerOct 28, 2026
1 weeks ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Inkling 2 Small is available from Thinking Machines Lab. Particle-1 is available from Particle AI.
Inkling 2 Small
Particle-1
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Inkling 2 Small and Particle-1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Inkling 2 Small vs Particle-1.